Arsenal & Newcastle Tracking Wolfsburg Striker Wout Weghorst
By Tom Gott
Arsenal and Newcastle United are among the sides keeping tabs on Wolfsburg's towering striker Wout Weghorst ahead of potential summer moves.
The 6'5 Dutchman has fired home 16 goals in the Bundesliga this season - behind only Robert Lewandowski, Timo Werner and Jadon Sancho in the division's scoring charts - adding to the 17 he netted in his debut year in Germany last season.
According to Bild, Wolfsburg are bracing themselves for serious interest in Weghorst from around Europe this summer, and they will look to earn as close to £32m as possible if they are to sell their striker.
For Arsenal, that fee may be a little steep, although with both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette linked with moves away from the Emirates Stadium this summer, Mikel Arteta may soon have money to play with.
While the hope is that Aubameyang will extend his contract and commit to the club beyond next season, Arsenal are making preparations for his eventual exit. Manchester United, Inter and Barcelona are all named as suitors of the Gabon international, so Weghorst's name has been mentioned as a potential replacement.
However, they will face competition from Newcastle, who could see £32m as pocket change if their lucrative Saudi-backed takeover is approved by the Premier League.
Record signing Joelinton has been hugely disappointing during his first year in England, managing just four goals in 37 appearances thus far, so finding a reliable source of goals is thought to be high on Newcastle's agenda this summer.
The 27-year-old has previously spoken of his desire to play in England, confessing to Goal that he loves the Premier League and Liverpool in particular.
“I always found Liverpool very special,” he said. “I still get goosebumps from ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’. There are other great English clubs too, and I always liked Milan because so many Dutch played there.
“I am ambitious and want to get ahead. Maybe at some point play at another club, whether in Germany or in England? But at the moment it is still far away. I feel good and try to achieve the maximum here.”